Ideas And Tips For Hosting A 50 Year Wedding Anniversary Party

One of the first things you should do is to put a notice of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary in the newspaper a week or two before the actual date. This will be such an honor for the couple who can then clip out the notice and save it along with their other personal treasures.

Something that most hosts fret over is decorating the venue. Whether the site of the party is your own home or a separate banquet hall, keep the decorations simple. Since gold is the color for 50th anniversaries, decide what your budget should be for decorations alone. Decorations as simple and inexpensive as clusters of golden balloons and golden candles around the site can be just as classy as gold-lined china and crystal wine glasses. Violets are also said to be the flower representing the 50th anniversaries, so you can also purchase a few clear vases to put violets in as simple centerpieces for the tables.

Another way to enhance the decorative appeal of the site is to get lots of framed photos of the couple along the journey of their marriage to put on the different tables as centerpieces or accents. Not only will these serve as decorations, but they will make great conversation starters for guests.

The menu can be inspired by the menu that was served at the couple's original wedding or, for a more personal touch, you can speak with the couple beforehand and get a list of some of their favorite types of foods. Even if the menu consists of items as diverse as chicken wings and meatloaf, the guests and the couple will enjoy and appreciate the fact that the menu is a reflection on the couple themselves. Dessert can be created the same way. If there are photos lying around of the couple's original wedding cake, have a baker recreate the cake on a smaller scale (depending on how many guests will be invited to the anniversary party).

To create the guest list, be sure to speak with the couple beforehand about who they would like to invite so nobody gets excluded. They may have a few people they would like to add to the guest list from their church or other organizations they belong to.

Ask for the children and close friends of the couple to prepare toasts to read to the couple at the party. You can also choose to open up the floor to anybody at the party who has some reflections or funny anecdotes about the couple.

In order to properly document this pivotal event, ask each of the guests to write a simple note of appreciation to the couple. Also, as each guest arrives, have somebody take an instant Polaroid photo of the guests. Once the party is over, you can fill a scrapbook with the notes and photos for a beautiful gift that the couple will cherish forever.